As there are often a lot of ingredients in a recipe, it is a good idea to measure them out and have them ready before you begin to cook, so that you are not held up looking for things at a crucial moment. Spice mixes can be complicated, but they DO NOT need to be. Indeed, most of my recipes call for only a handful. Every region has their flavor combinations, and spice blends are as much an art as a science. Blending together different spices brings out each other's flavorings. Also, it is worth to know that spices used in South of India differ from the one used in the North. Also, the spices used in vegetarian cooking differ from those used in meat based dishes. So, there will be always different variants in each case and also depending on the cooking preferences and individual palates.